Student-Teacher Conference
by Dust2Dust17
Summary: Ozpin has a little talk with Fox about failing grades. Part of my one shot challenge: 23-Overwhelmed


"Come in." The unmistakable voice of the academy's headmaster rang from the other side of the door.

With his invitation confirmed, Fox pushed open the double doors, leading into the office of the clock tower that served as the administration building. Walking up to the middle of the room, memorizing the layout from last time he was in the office, he wasn't prepared to find the newly placed chair in front of the desk and ended up walking straight into it, startling him.

"My apologies," Ozpin said. "I forgot to mention there's a chair there now."

"It's fine. I noticed." Fox said, feeling around for the seat before taking it. "So am I in trouble or something?"

"Not in the sense you're thinking of." Ozpin answered, putting his hands together and resting his chin on them. "I guess you could say I'm a bit concerned with your performance in classes lately."

Fox looked downward. He knew he had been struggling since the new year started and was somewhat surprised with how quickly it was brought to the attention of the headmaster. "It's just a rough patch. I'll get through it." he mumbled.

"Fox, you're usually a bright young man. I've dealt with students struggling with upperclassmen lessons before, but you're a bit of a special case." Ozpin explained.

"What, because I'm blind?" Fox asked in an annoyed tone. He couldn't stand his handicap being commented upon.

"Because of your previous grades." Ozpin answered instead. "You were in the top three for highest marks in your classes both previous years. Since this one has started, you've dropped to low B's and C's." he continued, looking at a transcript on his desk. "I just need to know if anything is bothering you, something that's distracting you from your full potential."

Fox sighed. "I never got hit with the fact that becoming a huntsman was such a big responsibility, I guess." he admitted. "It just caught up with me, and I've been kind of feeling..." he paused to find the right word to use.

"Overwhelmed?" the older gentleman suggested.

"Yeah, there you go." he nodded.

"Why didn't you let your instructors know sooner?" Ozpin asked.

Fox gritted his teeth. " I kind of lied." he shrugged. "My blindness...it's already enough of a nuisance for some people, my team included. I don't want to bring another bother into this."

Ozpin stood up and walked around his desk to the chair his student sat in. "Fox, I have had challenges to face with students before. Your disability is unfortunate, but it is not an unfair excuse, to either the faculty or your team." he spoke.

"How do you know that for sure?" Fox asked, before the sound of the door opening brought his attention to that.

"Because I'm the one that brought this to his attention." the voice said.

"Coco..." Fox started as his fashionista of a team leader walked over.

"You really think we don't think you're valuable to the team?" another voice asked, heavy footsteps following it.

"Velvet? Yatsuhashi? You guys are here too?" Fox asked, unaware of the fact his entire team was following him to bring him into an intervention this whole time.

"In the flesh." Velvet smirked.

"Fox, that's really the reason you've been falling behind? You think you're causing more trouble than you're worth?" Yatsuhashi asked, receiving a nod in response.

"That's crazy!" Coco commented. "You've been a lot more helpful than you think you've been."

"Coco's right. Remember when we got attacked by Beowolves in Forever Fall?" Velvet recalled from her memory of that first year field trip. "You were able to hold them all off until help arrived."

"And I don't think I could've passed last year's finals without your tutoring." Yatsuhashi chuckled.

"Or what about how you helped convince Velvet to stop hiding her ears from under her beret?" Coco added.

"Okay, okay, I get it." Fox said with a slight smile, remembering all those times fondly. "I'm still not sure I can make up for all the work and grades I've let drop though."

"Overwhelming is something that usually doesn't end well for a Huntsman on mission. That's why we have you train in teams, so that you don't have to face it alone." Ozpin explained.

"It's still early in the year anyway." Coco said, leaning over her blind partner's chair. "With our help, you can catch back up in no time."

"I already came up with some braille study sheets for you for Oobleck's class." Velvet said, reaching into a messenger bag and handing some papers to Fox, who took them and began running his fingers over the text.

"The Industrialization of Atlas, huh?" Fox muttered as he skimmed a bit before a clearing of the throat brought Team CFVY to attention.

"I hope this means your issues have been put to rest?" Ozpin asked.

The blind brawler gave a nod as he looked over his shoulders and up at his teammates. "Yeah. I think I'm gonna be alright this year." He nodded.

"Very good." Ozpin said, placing his mug down. "I understand you all have a mission outside the kingdom to prepare for. I won't keep you any longer, and wish you all the best of luck."

"That's right! We still need to pack supplies!" Velvet gasped as she hurried out of the office, Yatsuhashi and Coco giving their farewells as they followed her with Fox not too far behind. Just as he was in the doorway, he paused and looked back at the school headmaster.

"Hey, Professor..." Fox said, grabbing Ozpin's attention. "...Thanks. I feel like that was just what I needed.

"I'm glad to hear it." Ozpin said with a smile.

"C'mon! We need to go, Fox!" Coco ordered from outside as he complied with his leader's orders and headed for the elevator, a new, more optimistic look on his third year, leaving with him.


End file.
